Robin, born in 2009, arrived to us from a private zoo which was closed by the authorities. In captivity, he had grown very attached to humans – loving nothing more than to play tricks on his human caregivers. We knew straight away that he couldn’t be released back into the wild: he would seek out human settlements, which would put him in danger of violence.

It is with a heavy heart that we have to announce the passing of orangutan Robin. His health had been fluctuating due to various conditions and a loss of appetite showed symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disorder for which he was given the necessary medications. At first, it seemed that Robin’s condition was improving, but within days he was increasingly weak and despite immediate intervention, Robin sadly didn’t make it. 

In the Forest School, Robin grew very attached to his dedicated caregivers and loved nothing more than to play tricks on them and enjoying trust games. He often covered his teeth with his lips to show how nice and friendly he was. Rest in peace dear Robin, you will be much missed!

This means we have to do everything in our power to give Robin a rich, fulfilling life under our care. We want to build a larger enclosure that gives him more space and the opportunity to live in an environment as close to his natural habitat as possible; with trees to climb and ropes to swing from, and in the future, hopefully another unreleasable orangutan to give him company.

His full name is ‘Robinson’. Named after Robinson Crusoe; because of his isolation, it is like he is the only one on his island.

Robin loves trust games! He offers his finger to be chewed gently by a human friend, also inviting us to do the same. He even covers his teeth with his lips to show how nice and friendly he is!